ICYMI fintech funding round-up: Linker Finance, Thera, Mercately, Creattura, and more
At FinTech Futures, we know that it can be easy to let funding announcements slip you by in this fast-paced industry. That’s why we put together our weekly In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) funding round-up so you can get the latest funding news.
Thera lands $4 million
Thera, a New York-headquartered fintech start-up, has raised $4 million in a seed funding round.
The round saw participation from the likes of Amino Capital, Bayhouse Capital, Zillionize, Y Combinator, 10x Founders, and a consortium of angels.
Founded in 2021, Thera provides a payments platform featuring a range of financial tools, including accounts payable/accounts receivable (AP/AR), payroll, and treasury services.
The firm plans to utilise the cash infusion to expand its team and further develop its product offerings.
Linker Finance, a US-based fintech offering a mobile and online digital banking platform for community banks, has bagged $3.7 million in a seed funding round led by Chingona Ventures and Ten One Ten Ventures.
Other contributors included Angeles Investors, Audaz Capital, Bank of Brodhead, Techstars, Commerce Ventures, and a number of angel investors.
Founded in 2023, Linker Finance says it aims to “empower community banks to take back control of their digital banking experience”. It claims its platform is “easy to personalise with your brand and integrates effortlessly with your existing systems, no need to switch your core or change your trusted partners”.
Its offering includes an array of services including consumer and business account opening, payments, an all-in-one credit card management solution, and more.
The start-up plans to use its new funds to expand its team and launch new product features tailored for business and commercial banking by Q3 2025.
Mercately raises $2.6 million seed round
Ecuadorian fintech start-up Mercately has secured a $2.6 million seed round led by Inventus Capital Partners and SVQuad.
Launched in 2022, Mercately is a B2B software provider developing infrastructure for brands to sell directly on WhatsApp.
The enterprise, which claims to serve over 1,000 companies across 20 different countries, links with platforms like Stripe and deploys AI agents to help businesses manage inventory, communicate with customers, process payments, and create purchase orders.
In an interview with TechCrunch, Mercately’s co-founder and CEO Henry Remache revealed the firm intends to use the capital to hire more AI engineers and to strengthen its market presence in Brazil and the US.
The round saw additional participation from BuenTrip Ventures, Techstars, and Salkantay Ventures.
Creattura, a Tokyo-headquartered climate fintech, has bagged $2.4 million in a Series A funding round featuring participation from Japanese VC DBJ Capital and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital.
Founded in 2022, Creattura helps firms lower greenhouse gas emissions by generating and distributing carbon credits. The company also provides consultancy services to help firms better understand their climate impact.
The company writes on its website that it is “committed to restoring natural capital through reliable, economical, and rational climate change solutions that combine IT and finance, and helping our client companies to raise their corporate value with a focus on biodiversity as well”.
Raiz bags strategic investment
Raiz Invest, an Australian micro-investing platform, has secured a strategic investment from Boston-based State Street Global Advisors, the asset management arm of State Street Corporation.
The companies have entered into an equity investment agreement that the firms say will see State Street Global Advisors “acquire approximately 5% of Raiz’s share capital through a placement”.
The two firms highlight that the collaboration “will see State Street Global Advisors’ trusted brand and deep knowledge of markets come together with Raiz’s mobile-first platform, which helps Australian retail investors with micro-investments primarily in exchange-traded funds (ETF) and model portfolios”.
